TORRINGTON: The Grand Ballpark in Torrington is about to get a much needed makeover, at least a partial one.

On Tuesday night, the Torrington City Council approved a plan that would see the entire infield stripped and replanted while much needed improvements being made to the drainage system.

How many games have been postponed over the years because the infield got a little too much rain and it went nowhere slowly?

The answer is a large number that may just be reduced with this fix, funded as part of the Park and Recreations Capital Project Budget.

Mountain View Landscapes and Lawn Care Incorporated, out of Chicopee, Mass, has been hired to do the work after winning the $125,975 dollar project from a pool of four finalists.

“I’m excited about it,” Park and Rec Director Brett Simmons said, “It really needs a full renovation. It’s been since 1997 when it was last done.”

It’s hoped the project will get underway sooner as opposed to later, with a goal of starting sometime in October, depending on the availability of Mountain View to get started based on other commitments already in place on their end.

It’s going to be a site to see, ripping up an infield grass area and dirt area that has seen itself some pretty great baseball over the last 18 years.

“We will be re-sodding the infield, putting in new infield mix,” Simmons said, “The clay in the infield will also be replaced.”

The scope of the project goes throughout the entire infield, from dugout to dugout including the warning tracks that run by each of them and to a fix of the slight downhill run behind shortstop, just into left field.

Any time you take on a project like this, schedules may have to be altered in the spring, when the grass will be just starting to take hold after the snow melts, hopefully not as late as this past spring.

High School baseball games may need to be altered in 2016 with the Raiders perhaps front loading their schedule with away games until their home turf is ready.

Torrington High School plays their homes games

Fuessenich Park is known as the Jewel of Litchfield County at present and as improvements continue to occur in a place that gets played on nearly every day in the summer, those lucky enough to play on it should see the major difference.

The drainage fix is a tremendous bonus that should help negate the effects of a 10-minute thunderstorm leading to the cancelation of many a ball game.

When it begins, count on us being front and center for all the action literally on the field!